Thank you! I have a longer/more intelligent reply in my head but am having a brain/typing disconnect right now, so I’ll say for the moment is thanks for the thorough response :)

Yeah I’m more concerned about styles than products, but only natural, day-to-day styles, no extensions or Locs. Thank you for clear answer, and the article — I’ve spent some time on Curly Nikki, but hadn’t been aware of this/seen that woman’s video before.

God I wish my mom had read that. She has curly hair too but like, nice, big, soft curls/waves. She brushed my hair for years and years and it was SO painful so I eventually stopped letting her and got giant, matted (unintentional) dreads until I was 12 or so.

Oh I definitely use the products. Finding natural hair websites has been a lifesaver for my curls. There are just like, very few fun styles I can try and I’ve been wanting to try a twist-out or similar.

Can I ask a question here that might be crazy/dumb? And feel free to ignore me/tell me if I’m being crazy/dumb.

She’s not a psychopath. Like, she definitely has some shit going on and has lied pathologically, but nothing about this reads psychopathy. Histrionic personality disorder? Very possibly. Antisocial personality disorder? Seems *extremely* unlikely.

But teachers DO have a higher responsibility. I think they should also get paid way, way more than they do bc it is one of the most important jobs there is, and I also think it’s stupid to punish/shame teachers for doing normal life things, like drinking/having sex, outside of school. But I also think that it is…

Oh I’ve definitely got time for that...

I mean there’ll be someone who gets off on basically anything you can think of...but that is DEFINITELY one of those things you only do when asked.

Ugh, that is so gross. I am glad you had a support system looking out for you. *Particularly* in early education, teachers’ attitudes are so fucking important.

I think that, as an individual, your feelings on this are 100% valid, and, as a man, you are probably discouraged from seeking help when those feelings become overwhelming (not that women are really encouraged to seek help, but there’s at least a little less of a stigma there). It seems corporate culture can be really…

Also true! Some people prefer their partners unshaven.

I think it’s the assumption that a woman would probably know just how much that’d hurt? But it was indeed a he.

Sadly I was young and eager to please, so I just faked it so he’d stop. I now apologize to all the partners he’s had since then.

Someone BIT me once. Like, I am all for biting on the shoulders/neck/thigh/virtually anywhere else but oh god please no not there.

I am glad you said “I find it” and not “it is.” Some dudes prefer unshaven.

Yeah, I have changed “don’t stop!” to “Yes, that!” for that reason.

Yes. I don’t care if educators have, you know, lives, but I do care, deeply, that they will approach all their students equally, openly, and with a belief in their ability to succeed.

Isn’t that the point of the whole article?

Omg can you make me that cake for my next birthday? I’ll be 28 (I mean, not for 11 months).